Happy Mother's Day to My Mom

 

My mother always wanted to be a writer. One of her first jobs as a teenager was working for a published writer. She would proofread his work, type his drafts and prepare for publication. Mother was always good with the written word. 

One thing she liked to write was poetry. Several years before her death, I surprised her with a gift on Mother's Day ... a hard bound book filled with the poetry she had written over the years. She often wrote poems about family, friends, and life's events. So her poetry was illustrated with the pictures of family and friends that she had written about. That Mother's Day was one of the best I ever celebrated with my mother. Love you, Mom! Hope you have a Happy Heavenly Mother's Day 

My Mother's Legacy of Service

 My mother loved working with her hands.. Sewing, crochet, gardening, cooking, and many other works of art. This little video was created from the photos taken at her funeral. We asked everyone to bring the hand made blankets, the crocheted dresses, the baby Teddy Bear blankets, the doll clothes, everything she made them for display at her funeral. The result was breath taking.

Grandpa Taught Me Honesty

My grandfather taught me to be honest. As a young child I remember being a passenger in his car and on our way home to my house. On the way he stopped at a local store to buy something. We were in the car ready to go and he noticed the change the clerk gave him was too much. Grandpa said he needed to go back into the store for a minute to return the extra change, so he walked back in, returned the extra change, and then took me home. I don't remember how old I was, but the memory of hearing him tell me that the clerk gave him too much change and then watching him return to the store to give the extra change back is as vivid today as it was over 50 years ago. A small moment in time for me, but a very valuable lesson was taught that day. I will always be grateful for his good example of honesty.

George, Rebecca, and Andrew Hartley

George and Rebecca [Richards] Hartley, with their son Andrew.

Taken about the time they immigrated from England to America in 1889.

2 Obituaries for Friend William Curtis

A few of years ago my parents visited the historical office for Big Timber, Sweet Grass, Montana. My grandmother Ada Curtis (my Dad's mother), was born at Big Timber and lived there during her childhood and some of her early youth. The historical office has a collection of newspaper clippings for the early residents of the town that included many of the extended Curtis family members. Friend William Curtis and Ada Curtis were cousins. Friend grew up in the same area, but eventually moved to Washington with his family. Even though he died and was buried in Washington, the Sweet Grass historical office had two obituaries on file for him. I don't know the name of the newspaper the obituaries were published in, but with so many newspapers going online, I hope it won't be too hard to find out.

   First Obituary - Last Rites Held for Friend W. Curtis Funeral services for Friend William Curtis, 66, were conducted from the Einan's Deseret Memorial Chapel in Richland, Wash., April 22, at 2 p.m., under the direction of Richland, Wash., third ward, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Bishop Harold Derricott officiated. 
   Pallbearers were Frank Standefer, L. P. Conner, N. E. O'Connor, R. E. House, Ray Culver and R. B. Turnipseed. Interment was in the Richland cemetery. 
   Mr. Curtis, who retired about a year ago as a maintenance worker for General Electric at Richland, died of a stroke in Kadlec Methodist hospital in Richland April 20. He had been ill with a heart condition for the past year. 
   Mr. Curtis was born in Preston, Idaho, April 19, 1890. He came to Sweet Grass county with his parents at an early age and had resided here until moving to Richland about 13 years ago. 
   Surviving include his widow: four sons, Benjamin W., Donald K.; Dean H. and Leo C. Curtis, all of Richland; two daughters, Mrs. Arthur (Jene) Roppe of Kennewick, Wash., and Mrs. Dwight (Maribel) Manning of Richland; a sister Mrs. Madge Otis of Madera, Calif., and 18 grandchildren.

Second Obituary - Friend Curtis  Dies in Washington
Dies in Washington Relatives here have been notified of the death of Friend Curtis at Richland, Wash., Saturday. Cause of death was not given but it is known that he had been ill for some time. Burial was at Richland. The deceased is well known here having lived in this community most of his life until moving to Washington a number of years ago.

Source: The historical society that my parents visited and obtained copies of both obituaries was the Crazy Mountain Museum. The museum is located south of Big Timber on Cemetery Road.

Brothers Separated for Twenty-five Years Reunited

My grandfather Aldred Erskine had an older brother named Cyrus Melvin Erskine. Sometime after Cyrus filled out his World War I registration card in 1917 he disappeared. No word, no connection was made with Cyrus for a long time. The story in the family is that Cyrus was declared legally dead after he had been missing for about 25 years. I have not found an official death record to verify this part of the story, but today we know more about Cyrus because of the newspaper record that documented his sudden return to the family. My mother had this newspaper clipping in her scrapbook. Her father, Aldred Erskine was a police officer for Burbank, California. One day when he was at work, Cyrus showed up to surprise him. Here's the full story from the newspaper account:

Burbank 

If Police Desk Sgt. Aldred Erskine could duplicate at will that expression of suspense, surprise and joy that he enacted spontaneously last night, he probably would be snapped up by the movies. His eyes popped, his mouth flung open as if moving automatically on hinges and his face turned pale momentarily as he looked up from his desk at police headquarters to peer into a smiling face that seemed familiar. Suspense across his face faded to surprise and then joy, "Cy!" exclaimed Erskine as he hopped off his chair and lunged forward to clutch an extended hand.

Clutches Extended Hand
It was the hand of Cyrus Erskine, a brother the police officer hadn' t seen for twenty-five years. The story goes back a quarter of a century when the four Erskine brothers - Aldred, Cyrus, John and Thomas were living in the family home at Richmond in northern California. The eldest of the four, Cyrus, a young man then, decided to go east. He settled at Dallas, Tex. Later he moved to Miami, Fla., where he engaged in the real estate business during the Florida boom.  

Address Lost 
Meanwhile, the other three brothers, now grown, moved from the family residence. Cyrus left Miami. Addresses were lost and correspondence, previously only occasional, ceased entirely. Last fall Cyrus decided to return to the coast. On Christmas day he arrived in San Francisco , hoping to find his brothers somewhere in the bay region. Thumbing through the telephone book, he found the name of Thomas Erskine at Richmond. Not sure that was his brother, he telelphoned. A few hours later the pair was reunited at Thomas' home. Aldred and John, the latter a resident of Glendale, soon received word that the "long, lost" brother, feared dead, was very much alive.

Arrives Without Warning
 John drove north during the week-end to see Cyrus. He returned last night and without any previous warning dropped Cyrus off at police headquarters, and the third of the series of reunions followed. A sheet metal man, Cyrus has decided to settle here, and seek employment in the aircraft industry. He is making his home for the present at the police officer's residence.

Research To-Do

• This Blog post was originally posted on 25 Jan 2012. Updates were made in 2025.
• The date and name of the newspaper is unknown. Aldred retired from the police department on 1 Nov 1951, so this brother reunion was before that date. I expect to be able to find the article in the local Burbank newspaper. 
• 1910 Census 
• 5 June 1917 WW I Draft Registration, residence listed as Oakland, Alameda County., California
• 1920 Census, residence unknown
• 1930 Census, residence unknown 
• 1940 Census, residence unknown
• 1950 Census, residence was Long Beach, Los Angeles Co., California. Wife was listed as Jessie B.